At 98, Elmo Snelling has no desire to retire

Elmo Snelling has no plans to retire. This spring he’s working on his 67th crop and on a cold, blustery day in early April that promised but never quite delivered much-needed rainfall, he was making plans to go into nearby Plainview, Texas, to order fertilizer for his cotton.

His energy belies his 98 years. He’ll turn 99 July 27 and plans to drive a restored 1946 John Deere Tractor in the Hale Center July 4th parade several weeks before that.

He pulls an ottoman up close to the sofa where the interviewer sits and explains that he sees well but has a bit of a hearing problem. He has no trouble recalling events of his long career in farming.